Gikuyu Proverbs K

K

220. Kaana ka ngarĩ gakunyaga ta nyina

• • Literal translation: The son of the leopard scratches like its mother.
  • English equivalent: Like father like son.

221. Kaana karere nĩ ũcũwe gatingĩrũngĩka

• • Literal translation: The baby nursed by its grandmother can never be corrected.
  • English equivalent: Too much breaks the bag.

222. Kaara kamwe gatingĩyũragĩra ndaa

• • Literal translation: One finger does not kill a louse.
  • English equivalent: Union is strength.

223. Kagwacĩ ka mwana wene noko kahoragia mwaki

• • Literal translation: It is always the potato of another family’s boy that extinguishes the fire.
  • Contextual note: The proverb alludes to the custom of roasting potatoes in the embers of a dying fire.
  • English equivalent: Nobody calls himself rogue.

224. Kahiga gakũrũ gatiagararagwo nĩ maaĩ

• • Literal translation: The stream does not pass over an old stone (through respect to its age).
  • English equivalent: Old age is honourable.

225. Kahĩĩ ka mwathi kamenyaga kũgereka

• • Literal translation: The hunter’s son knows how to hunt.
  • English equivalent: Like father, like son.

226. Kahĩĩ kogĩ ta ithe kabaritaga ta mĩgwĩ

• • Literal translation: A son as cunning as his father knows the arrows like father.
  • English equivalent: Like carpenter like chips.

227. Kahiũ getainwo na rwenji

• • Literal translation: A knife and a shaving-knife are alike.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that if you do not have something you need, you will have something you can instead.
  • English equivalent: Necessity is the mother of invention.

228. Kahiũ karathime karĩaga nyama cia kĩnandũ

• • Literal translation: The blessed knife (son) eats of the meat of the ‘kĩnandũ’.
  • Contextual note: ‘Kĩnandũ’ is a small calabash used to keep oil, fat and the best morsels of meat. They say that the father share the contents of the ‘kĩnandũ’ with the most beloved son.

229. Kahũniĩ gatiũĩ mwĩrĩ

• • Literal translation: He who is full does not understand what is told (about others’ troubles).
  • English equivalent: Another’s burden does not worry us.

230. Kahũniĩ gatũhaga ũrĩrĩ wa nyina

• • Literal translation: The fed baby plays on its mother’s bed.

231. Kaihũ korũri gatigaga kwao gũgĩthĩnjwo

• • Literal translation: The rambling pole-cat leaves its house when there is banquet.
  • Contextual note: The son that leaves his father’s house for liberty’s sake will not share his father’s inheritance.

232. Kamamĩrĩria gateire mũgũnda mũrĩme

• • Literal translation: A little idleness lost a tilled field.
  • English equivalent: A little leak can sink a great ship.

233. Kamau mwerũ nĩ airaga

• • Literal translation: Kamau who is white becomes black.
  • Contextual note: ‘Kamau’ is typical name. The proverb means there is nothing constant in this world.

234. Kamũhũthia kaharũrũkagia mwatũ

• • Literal translation: A little idleness causes the ruin of the beehive.
  • Contextual note: The Kikuyu hang beehives on the branches of the forest trees, and it is their custom to visit them often to make sure that they are all right. For it might happen that if out of idleness one did not see them regularly, one would ultimately find the branch broken, the beehive fallen and the contents spoilt.

235. Kamũingĩ koyaga ndĩrĩ

• • Literal translation: Many people together lift up the ‘ndĩrĩ’.
  • Contextual note: ‘Ndĩrĩ’ is a heavy wooden mortar in which the Kikuyu women, when brewing beer, crush the sugar-cane.
  • English equivalent: Many hands make light work.

236. Kanĩra njara ĩrĩa ũkomeire

• • Literal translation: Take an oath only for the hand youslept on.
  • English equivalent: Swear only to that which you know to be true.

237. Kanoro karĩ itũũra gatituhagia

• • Literal translation: The whetstone in a village does no blunt the knife.
  • English equivalent: Every potter praises his own pots.

238. Kanua karĩa karĩire mbeũ noko koragia ‘ngahanda kĩ?’

• • Literal translation: The mouth who ate the seeds asks, ‘Now what shall I plant?’
  • English equivalent: He sups ill who eats up all at dinner.

239. Kanua kene gatinyuaga muma

• • Literal translation: Another’s mouth cannot take the oath for you.
  • English equivalent: Every bird must hatch its own egg.

240. Kanua nĩ ikahũ

• • Literal translation: The mouth is a chink.
  • English equivalent: From the mouth come many futilities.

241. Kanua kendagia kĩongo

• • Literal translation: The mouth sells the head.
  • English equivalent: The tongue talks at the head’s cost.

242. Kanua werĩire

• • Literal translation: You spoke (against yourself) with your own mouth.
  • Contextual note: Its means that one can sometimes condemn oneself in defending oneself.

243. Kanya gatune mwamũkanĩro

• • Literal translation: A small red snuff-box is a welcome.
  • Contextual note: The proverb refers to the Kikuyu custom of giving a pinch of snuff to their friends when they meet.

244. Kanyoni kabariti keminagĩra njoya

• • Literal translation: The little bird that flaps its wings too much will spoil them.
  • English equivalent: One must crawl before one can walk.

245. Kanywanjui kerathaga kero gako

• • Literal translation: ‘Kanywanjui’ scratches its thigh.
  • Contextual note: ‘Kanywanjui’is a species of a tiny blue bird with a long bill, which sucks nectar from flowers. The proverb means that such birds, although very small, can do everything for their own needs, and do not require others’ help to have their legs scratched.
  • English equivalent: Every man something can.

246. Karaguthwo nĩko koĩ kwĩgita

• • Literal translation: He who is stricken knows how to defend himself.
  • English equivalent: Scalded cats fear even cold water.

247. Karanga hako gatiũmagia

• • Literal translation: It is not the owner, trampling his own field, that spoils it (but the others).
  • Contextual note: The proverb has arisen from the fact that many people if they have a bad harvest, say that it is the fault of other people who walked across their plantations.
  • English equivalent: Nobody calls himself a rogue.

248. Karara gekinya

• • Literal translation: A person will change his mind on something if left to sleep over it.
  • English equivalent: Never leave till tomorrow what you can do today.

249. Karatha gatũkagia karatha

• • Literal translation: Prophet copies a prophet.
  • English equivalent: Like tree like fruit.

250. Karatũ gatagwo na kũgũrũ kwa mwene

• • Literal translation: The shoe is made for the foot that will wear it.
  • English equivalent: If the cap fits wear it.

251. Karegi nyina gatihonaga

• • Literal translation: The baby that refuses its mother's breast, will never be full.
  • English equivalent: Faint heart never won fair lady.

252. Kareraria kagarũragwo na mũtĩ

• • Literal translation: The sleeping is turned by a stick: i.e. turns around to bite if disturbed or touched by a stick.
  • English equivalent: Let the sleeping dogs lie.

253. Karĩki kamwe gatukĩrĩirie ndutura kĩrimũ

• • Literal translation: A stupid turtle-dove is sometimes surprised by night for wanting one more grain of castor-oil plant.
  • English equivalent: Time stays not the fool's leisure.

254. Karĩ mata gatiagaga wa kuga

• • Literal translation: The mouth that has saliva does not lack words.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that the man who has something to say will say it.

255. Karĩ nda gatiĩyumbũraga

• • Literal translation: The word that remains in the belly does not mean anything.
  • English equivalent: Tell the truth and shame the devil.

256. Kĩaga ngũi kĩabaca

• • Literal translation: The song that has no leader, goes wrong.
  • English equivalent: No longer pipe, no longer dance.

257. Kĩama gĩtirũgaga rũũĩ

• • Literal translation: The elders of the council do not jump over the brook.
  • Contextual note: Metaphorically the proverb means that the elders who are to judge a case must not hurry. But it often means that a person like a judge should not do anything undignified.

258. Kĩambi nda nĩkĩo gĩakũra

• • Literal translation: The food eaten first lasts longest in the stomach.
  • English equivalent: First impressions are most lasting.

259. Kĩara kĩihũragio nĩ gũita ihuti

• • Literal translation: The dunghill grows by straws thrown upon it.
  • English equivalent: Every little helps.

260. Kĩega ta kĩ gĩtithiraga

• • Literal translation: A really good thing is ever good.
  • English equivalent: A good tale is none the worse for being twice told.

261. Kĩere kĩa njĩra-inĩ gĩtigwatagwo nĩ muura

• • Literal translation: A grain of millet grown on the road will bear no ears.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means both that a promiscuous woman has little hope of bearing children, and that a thing in common use will not last long.
  • English equivalent: A pot that belongs to many is ill stirred and worse boiled.

262. Kĩero nĩ ũimbo

• • Literal translation: The thigh is a bubble.
  • Contextual note: Thigh means full blooded youth. The proverb is for the young who scorn old people or make wrong use of their strength to sin. It reminds them that youth passes quickly.
  • English equivalent: Young today, old tomorrow.

263. Kĩerũ nĩ kĩiraga

• • Literal translation: What is white becomes black.
  • Contextual note: The proverb originates in the fact that the Africans are almost white when they are born, but become black by growing.
  • English equivalent: There is nothing constant but change.

264. Kĩgĩna gĩtininũkagio irio hande itarĩ ngũrũ

• • Literal translation: The seeds kept are not finished before the ripening of the crops planted in the field.
  • English equivalent: Every thing has its time, and that time must be watched.

265. Kĩhooto gĩtuthaga rũga rũtunge

• • Literal translation: The argument breaks the strained cord of the bow.

266. Kĩhooto kĩgetũraga ũta mũgete

• • English equivalent: The argument relaxes the bent bow.

267. Kĩhooto kĩringaga rũũĩ rũiyũru

• • Literal translation: The reason crosses even a flooding river.

268. Kĩhooto kĩongagĩrĩrwo njũgũma

• • Literal translation: The club is added to one's argument.

269.Kĩhooto nĩ indo

• • Literal translation: Having a good argument (in a discussion) is like having riches.
  • Contextual note: The five proverbs here above mean that he who can support his views or actions with a strong argument, will go through any difficulty and obtain what he wants.

270. Kĩnandũ kĩa mũciĩ gĩtihakagwo mũgeni

• • Literal translation: The fat of the 'kĩnandũ' is not used to anoint a stranger.
  • Contextual note: For the meaning of the word 'kĩnandũ' see No. 228.
  • English equivalent: Charity begins at home.

271. Kĩndũ kĩene gĩtirĩ ndokeirwo nũũ

• • Literal translation: Who prospered with robbed things.
  • English equivalent: Ill gotten goods seldom prosper.

272. Kĩndũ kĩũru no kĩronda, ĩndĩ kĩrĩ rũa rwa mũhuhi

• • Literal translation: A sore is a really bad thing; still it means luck to the doctor.
  • English equivalent: It is an ill wind that blows nobody good.

273. Kĩndũ kĩũru no mũndũ ethũkĩtie we mwene

• • Literal translation: A really bad thing is to hurt oneself willfully.
  • English equivalent: It is stupid to cut of your nose to spite your face.

274. Kĩndũ no mwene mũhoi ahoyage

• • Literal translation: The thing you want must be begged from the owner.
  • Contextual note: This means that it must not be acquired from other people nor taken without permission.
  • English equivalent: It is not a sin to sell dear, but it is to make measure.

275. Kĩndong'o kĩarĩire mai nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga mayũ ma gũkĩra

• • Literal translation: The beetle feeds on excrement for it can't fly high.
  • English equivalent: If thou hast not a capon, feed on an onion.

276. Kĩnya kĩrĩ itina nĩkĩo kĩigaga

• • Literal translation: Any calabash that has got a bottom can stand upright.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that God gives every man what is required by human nature: but it depends on man to exploit such gifts.
  • English equivalent: Every man is the architect of his own fortune.

277. Kĩongo kĩenjithagio nĩ mwene

• • Literal translation: The head is shaved at its owner's desire.
  • English equivalent: Let every peddlar carry his own burden.

278. Kĩonje gĩtihoyaga njohi mĩciĩ ĩrĩ

• • Literal translation: An invalid does not go to two houses to ask for beer (since he cannot move).
  • English equivalent: Old age is honourable.

279. Kĩrĩ kwĩhia ciĩhĩtie ciothe

• • Literal translation: If a child has sinned all have sinned.
  • English equivalent: One does the blame, another bears the shame.

280. Kĩrĩro kĩa mbũri nĩ ndara

• • Literal translation: It is the gridiron that cries (for the slaughtered goat).
  • Contextual note: Everyone rejoices when a goat is killed, for each will have his piece of meat; only the gridiron on which the meat is roasted, weeps, i.e. crackles.

281. Kĩrĩro kĩrĩ itũũra gĩtingĩreka mũndũ akome

• • Literal translation: One person weeping prevents all in a village from sleeping.
  • English equivalent: One barking dog sets all the street a-barking.

282. Kĩrĩti kĩrĩ ngoro gĩtiunanagĩrwo

• • Literal translation: The forest in the heart cannot be cut down by somebody else.
  • Contextual note: Troubles in somebody's heart cannot be removed by somebody else.

283. Kĩrimũ gĩtindagia andũ njĩra

• • Literal translation: The fool makes other people stop on the road.
  • English equivalent: The fool wastes the time of other people.

284. Kĩrimũ kĩhithaga rwembea-inĩ rwa nyũmba kĩũĩ gĩtikuonwo

• • Literal translation: The fool hides himself under the eaves of the hut and thinks nobody will see him.
  • Contextual note: It refers to foolish people who invent silly excuses to conceal their faults.

285. Kĩrimũ gĩa gwĩkĩgia kĩrũgĩte kĩa mũciarĩre

• • Literal translation: He who feigns to be stupid is more stupid than the stupid-born.
  • English equivalent: None is so deaf as those who won't hear.

286. Kĩrimũ kĩongaga nyina arĩ mũkuũ

• • Literal translation: A fool can even suck the mother after she is dead.

287. Kĩrimũ nĩ ta mwatũ

• • Literal translation: A fool is like a beehive.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that he is a fool who does not look after his own interest, like the beehive which allows itsself to be emptied.

288. Kĩringĩri gĩa aka nĩ rwenji rũkĩrega

• • Literal translation: To force a woman to do something she doesn't like is like forcing a blunt shaving knife to shave.

289. Kĩronda kĩa mwene gĩtimũiragia ngoro

• • Literal translation: He who has a sore does not feel sick on account of it.
  • English equivalent: We are blind to our own faults.

290. Kĩruka gĩa kĩmbu gĩtithiragwo nĩ mũng'ũng'ũtũ

• • Literal translation: All the species of the chameleon family shall always have a protruding backbone.
  • English equivalent: That that comes out of a cat will catch mice.

291. Kĩũma gĩtihatagĩrĩrio rũga

• • Literal translation: Do not force a big thread into a bead with a small hole.
  • English equivalent: Grasp all, lose all.

292. Kĩũnũhu gĩtirĩagĩrwo

• • Literal translation: A wasted thing cannot be eaten.
  • English equivalent: Willful waste makes woeful want.

293. Kĩũra kĩaringio rũũĩ kiugaga nĩkĩo kĩeringia

• • Literal translation: The frog that was helped across the river, said she had crossed by itself.
  • English equivalent: Eaten bread is soon forgotten.

294. Kirĩrĩria, thuti ti ruo

• • Literal translation: Be patient, a desire is no pain.
  • Contextual note: This proverb is told to people who long after anything they cannot obtain.

295. Kirihia thuti

• • Literal translation: Desires tie.
  • English equivalent: If desire be endless, your cares will be so too.

296. Kiuga gĩtheri gĩtirutanagĩrwo

• • Literal translation: An empty bowl is not offered.
  • Contextual note: It means that it is better to keep silence than to try to justify oneself by empty excuses.
  • English equivalent: Be silent or speak something worth hearing.

297. Komũ ateire kaigũ wa nyina

• • Literal translation: The dry firewood does not despise the wet one coming from the same tree.
  • English equivalent: Dog will not bite dog.

298. Komũ athĩnirie kaigũ wa nyina

• • Literal translation: Mother's dry firewood laughed at the green one (and it did not think that both of them had but one common lot).
  • English equivalent: Today me, tomorrow thee.

299. Kũganwo nĩ kũra

• • Literal translation: Being praised leads to ruin.
  • English equivalent: Praise without profit puts little in the pot.

300. Kũgera mũgathĩ ti gũtinia

• • Literal translation: To tell the beads is not to cut the thread.
  • English equivalent: Do not judge men or things at first sight.

301. Kũgũrũ kũrĩ mũhu na kũrĩ ime itihanaine

• • Literal translation: A foot dirty of ashes is not a foot wet of dew (because the former holds firmly, while the latter skids).

302. Kũgũrũ nĩ irata thĩ

• • Literal translation: The foot goes all the world over.
  • English equivalent: It is perseverance that prevails.

303. Kũgunagwo mwĩthiomeri ti mũthiomerwo

• • Literal translation: It is he who speaks that profits, not he who is spoken for.

304. Kũgunĩrwo mwana no ta kũgunĩrwo nyina

• • Literal translation: To make the son happy is to make the mother happy.

305. Kũhĩka nĩ kuna

• • Literal translation: Hurrying, is breaking.
  • English equivalent: Haste makes waste.

306. Kũhĩtia nĩ kwa njamba

• • Literal translation: Erring is proper in a courageous person.
  • English equivalent: To err is human.

307. Kũhonoka ti gũtũũra

• • Literal translation: To pass safely through danger (once) is no guarantee (for the next time).
  • English equivalent: One can escape the rocks and perish in the sand.

308. Kũhoya kwa arũme nĩ maitho

• • Literal translation: Males beg with the eyes.
  • Contextual note: It alludes to the Kikuyu custom according to which male guests, when invited to a beer party sit in the courtyard waiting for the host to pass round the drinks.

309. Kũhoya ti kũiya

• • Literal translation: To beg is not to steal.

310. Kũhũũta na kũhũũna ititiganaga

• • Literal translation: Hunger and surfeit do not leave each other.
  • English equivalent: Riches have wings.

311. Kũhũra maaĩ na ndĩrĩ

• • Literal translation: To pound the water in the mortar.
  • English equivalent: To waste time and labour.

312. Kũira ti kũrita

• • Literal translation: To be black is not to be stupid.
  • English equivalent: Little bodies may have great souls.

313. kũma ti kũma ta ihiga, na kuororoa ti kuororoa ta maaĩ

• • Literal translation: To be hard does not mean to be hard as stone, and to be soft does not mean to be soft as water.
  • English equivalent: There is a measure in all things.

314. Kũmtha gũtirĩ hinya ta kũramata

• • Literal translation: To harvest is not so difficult as to keep the harvest.
  • English equivalent: Keep some till more comes.

315. Kũmenya mũno nĩ kũmenyũka

• • Literal translation: Knowing too much is like being ignorant.
  • English equivalent: Too much breaks the bag.

316. Kũmenya werũ nĩ kũũtinda

• • Literal translation: He knows a place who lives in it.
  • English equivalent: Every man knows his own business best.

317. Kũngũ maitũ na hunyũ wake

• • Literal translation: Long live my mother and her ugliness.

318. Kũnyiha ti gũtinio

• • Literal translation: To become small is not the same as being cut.

319. Kũnyitwo ti kuohwo

• • Literal translation: To be caught is not to be imrisoned.
  • English equivalent: There is many a slip, 'twixt the cup and the lip.

320. Kũrĩ arũme na maiyũria ndua

• • Literal translation: Some are males (useful people) and some can only fill the gourds (useless people).
  • English equivalent: Some good, some bad, as sheep come to the fold.

321. Kũrĩ gũciara ũru ta kĩhia gĩgĩciara na mũtwe

• • Literal translation: There are women who give forth a bad issue, just like the sorghum that bears its fruit on the head (instead of growing it underground like most Kikuyu crops).

322. Kũrĩ gũkahũka gũticokaga ndebe

• • Literal translation: One cannot put the 'ndebe' into a broken ear-lobe.
  • English equivalent: 'Ndebe' is the wooden ring put into the pierced ear-lobe as an ornament. The painful operation of piercing the lobe is done with a wooden bodkin by the parents of the boy or girl in the years preceding the initiation. Pieces of wood are then introduced into the hole and these will successively be replaced by larger ones until a large wooden ring ('ndebe') can be put in as an ornament. The proverb means that these are things once broken cannot be soldered.

323. Kũrĩ gũkua mũrĩo ta kĩgwa

• • Literal translation: There are people who, like sugar cane, are killed for being sweet.
  • English equivalent: He who makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by the wolf.

324. Kũrĩ mwoni na mũrata thĩ

• • Literal translation: There are lucky and unlucky people.
  • English equivalent: The wind of luck is inconstant.

325. Kũrĩ ũkuũ ũtatumwo, ta wa nyũngũ

• • Literal translation: There are things, like the earthen pot, which if ever broken can't be repaired.
  • English equivalent: For some evils there is no remedy.

326. Kũrĩa mbere ti gũkoroka

• • Literal translation: To eat first is not to be a glutton.

327. Kũrĩa mũno nĩ kuoria nda

• • Literal translation: To eat much means to spoil one's belly.
  • English equivalent: Too much breaks the bag.

328. Kũrĩa naĩ gũtigiragia mũndũ akarĩa wega

• • Literal translation: To eat bad food (today) does not prevent a person from having good food (tomorrow).
  • English equivalent: Change of fortune is the lot of life.

329. Kũrĩa thĩ ti kũrĩa tĩri

• • Literal translation: One does not eat the soil, but the fruit thereon.

330. Kũrĩa thirĩ nĩ kũrĩha

• • Literal translation: The way of eating a debt is paying it.
  • English equivalent: He that gets out of debt grows rich.

331. Kũrĩithia ĩmwe ti kwenda kwa mwene

• • Literal translation: To graze only one goat is not the owner's will.
  • English equivalent: Evils come though we do not want them.

332. Kũrĩkanĩra gũtigiragia ndeto ihĩtane

• • Literal translation: To have come to an agreement does not mean that the agreement may not be broken.
  • English equivalent: The cat and the dog may kiss, yet are none the better friends.

333. Kũrĩma nĩ kwĩenda

• • Literal translation: To till the land is to love oneself.
  • English equivalent: Work is well done that is well loved.

334. Kũrita nĩ kũru

• • Literal translation: It is bad to be a fool.

335. Kũrũga ti kwega, amu kĩũra kĩoragire ũthoni na irũga

• • Literal translation: To leap is bad, since the male-frog by leaping broke up the betrothal.
  • Contextual note: The proverb originates in the following fable. One day the male-frog went to his fiancée's home to arrange the marriage with her father. But as soon as the fiancée noticed the indecorous leaping-posture assumed by the male frog during the conversation, she refused to marry him. The Kikuyu tell the proverb to express their esteem for decency and modesty.
  • English equivalent: Loquacity storms the ear, but modesty takes the heart.

336. Kũrua, kũgũrana na kũrĩha thirĩ gũtiĩriragwo

• • Literal translation: Nobody feels sorry for having been circumcissed, for having bought his wife and for having paid hi debts.
  • Contextual note: The proverb means that there are certain things that leave no regrets.

337. Kũrua nĩ kũhĩa

• • Literal translation: Being circumcissed is like being scalded.
  • Contextual note: This means that the pain of the circumcission is a few minutes' pain.

338. Kũrua nĩ kwara itara

• • Literal translation: Being circumcissed is like building the 'itara'.
  • Contextual note: The 'itara' is a trellis of twigs suspended a short distance above the fire-place in the Kikuyu hut to prevent sparks from setting fire to the thatched roof. The same word is often used to mean the whole hut. Thus this proverb means that a young man as soon as circumcissed, must realise that the years of irresponsibility are over and that he must see about building his hut and starting a new home.
  • English equivalent: A married man must turn his staff into a stake.

339. Ku ndĩrĩaga

• • Literal translation: A blow does not always injure.

340. Kuma kwa mbaa gũthiĩ kwa heho

• • Literal translation: To come from rime and go into the bitter cold.
  • English equivalent: To fall out of the frying pan into the fire.

341. Kumagara nĩ kũhĩga

• • Literal translation: To come out of one's house means learning.
  • English equivalent: Travel makes a wise man better.

342. Kwa mũcũni nĩ gwateirwo nĩ mũhĩtũki

• • Literal translation: Mũcũni's place was ruined by the traveller.
  • Contextual note: 'Mũcũni' is the name of a person who refused hospitality to a passer by. Since hospitality is traditionally sacred among the Kikuyu, they say that this traveller cursed Mũcũni's house which went to ruin.

343. Kwa mũnegeni gũkĩũra, kwa mũkiri kworire tene

• • Literal translation: The house of the talkative man perished long after that of the quiet.
  • Contextual note: It is easy for somebody who is friendly to get help from others.

344. Kwa mwendwo gũtirĩ irĩma

• • Literal translation: On the way to one's beloved there are no hills.

345. Kwaria nĩ kwendana

• • Literal translation: Talking is loving one another.
  • English equivalent: Friendship increases by visiting friends.

346. Kwaria ti gũcaya

• • Literal translation: To talk is not to grumble.

347. Kwaria ti gũtua cira

• • Literal translation: To talk is not to decide.

348. Kwĩgeria mũciĩ nĩ kwĩgeria mathĩna

• • Literal translation: To start a family is to start troubles
  • English equivalent: When a man is married his troubles begin.

349. Kwĩgita ti guoya

• • Literal translation: To prepare is not to be afraid.
  • English equivalent: Let him that wants peace prepare for war.

350. Kwĩonera ti kwĩrwo

• • Literal translation: To see for one's self is different from being told.
  • English equivalent: Words are but wind, but seeing is believing.

351. Kuona kĩmera ti kũrĩa

• • Literal translation: To see the crop in the fields is not to eat it.
  • English equivalent: There is many a slip, 'twixt the cup and the lip.